Main navigation

Rat traps DIY: cheap and effective devices for rodent extermination

Rats that regularly find their way to our dwellings are indeed annoying and nasty pests. Unfortunately, they can surmount all the hurdles and gnaw through everything to get into seemingly impenetrable, hard-to-reach places. Moreover, they transfer serious diseases, attack humans and pets, contaminate food and make a mess. Rat control measures involve traditional and modern methods of extermination, such as sealing up the homes, using rat predators, snap traps, poisonous baits, rat zappers, glue boards and others. In all cases, the best option is to start from the removal of mess (where they find their shelter), water and food sources. You can purchase different types of snap traps or make your own homemade rat trap to get rid of coming pests.

Electric rat trap diy

An electric rat trap is a simple device that electrocutes rodents, effectively killing them immediately. A homemade rat trap that is electrified can be used only indoors, out of the reach of children and pets.

Freeimages.com/Myhousepests.com

For rat trap DIY, you will need a piece of metal plate, a small cage rat trap, jumper cables and a 12V battery. Cage rat traps are commercially available nowadays. They simply catch rodents that enter our homes. Connecting cages to batteries allows to kill the pests immediately.

First, buy a small live trap. It looks like a wire cage with a loaded door that shuts behind a rat after it enters. In fact, the caught rodent stays alive. However, the aim of our homemade rat trap is to catch and kill at once. Batteries supply current and make it possible to design a rat killer from any commercially available cage.

Second, cover the entire floor of the mesh cage by a piece of metal plate placed on the bottom of the cage. Then, place some solid food for baiting on the metal plate near the back of the trap. It can be a bit of peanut butter, meat, fruit.

Third, attach jumper cables to the metal plate at the back of the cage. The clips on the cables should just barely fit onto the edge of the mesh cage. Set the trapdoor loading the spring as directed on the product label. Place the electric cage rat trap diy in a rodent-infested area.

At last, connect up the jumper cables to the 12V battery. Now, the homemade rat trap with electrified metal plate is ready to electrocute pest rodents instantly.

Homemade rat trap from bottle

You will need a 2-liter soda bottle, barbwire, glue, toothpick and bait (peanut butter, bacon, sunflower seeds). Before making the rat trap diy, put on latex or vynil gloves to avoid leaving human scent. Take a 2-liter soda bottle and cut 2 inches off the top. The opening will be the entrance.

Freeimages.com/diego medrano

A homemade rat trap from bottle and wire is a cheap and easy device to capture annoying rodents. Rats get stuck inside the bottle!

Size the barbwire so that it is exactly the shape and dimensions of the bottle’s opening and cut off the piece. Glue this piece of barbwire over the top opening of the bottle. In practice, the barbwire should replicate a swinging door.

Glue a toothpick across the opening of the bottle. Place the toothpick high enough to stop the barbwire door from swinging outward but low enough for the rat to step over it.

Add peanut butter (one spoon) or some other bait inside the bottle at the uncut end. The bait lures rats and other rodents to the location, inviting pests into the bottle cavity.

At last, the homemade rat trap from bottle can be placed in an infested area. In addition, the caught rat won’t be able to escape once it comes in because the toothpick prevents the barbwire door from swinging outward.

Bucket rat trap diy

To make a homemade rat trap from a bucket, you will also need a box, thin board, long wood plank, water and bait food. Take or buy the buckets of at least two feet in size and fill it half full with cold water.

Freeimages.com/Kerem Yucel

Buckets with water and large empty barrels or tuns are ideal for making rat traps diy. Boards act as ramps and seesaws. This method has been used for ages in rural areas.

Inspect your kitchen, attic, basement, garage and yard where rats and other rodents run and detect the most infested areas. Place the buckets with water there.

Then, position boxes of equal height next to the buckets. Place thin wood planks on the boxes and have them overhang into the middle of the buckets. The planks should fall into the buckets easily when a little bit of pressure is applied to the end of it.

On the end of the planks that hang over the buckets, smear a bit of peanut butter to attract rats. Attach longer boards on the other end of the boxes for the rats to crawl up. Rodents are nice climbers and can get to a food source in any place.

Thus, a rat crawls up onto the box, sees the bait and walks the board to it. The rat’s weight causes the board to fall into the water. At last, the rat drowns.

Dispose of the dead rodent using rubber gloves. Moreover, don’t forget to check the buckets and any other homemade rat trap daily.